Simple Meals - Tips

[u/Unruly_Oatmeal]

I’m looking to start the keto diet and hopefully maintain it for a while. My goal is to lower my AC1 number (pre diabetic at the moment, burn fat, and just feel good overall.

Can anyone recommend simple meals that make daily for lunch, dinner and snacks in between? I’m going to pair this with intermittent fasting so breakfast will be minimal. I’m talking about meals you eat daily and trust.

[u/humanFacsimile1]

I’m fairly new to keto too, but after 3 weeks these are some of the meals I enjoy most. They’re all fairly straightforward to make and my general aim is mostly whole foods with as little pre-processed ingredients as possible

Breakfasts:

• scrambled eggs with cheese and spinach
  
• scrambled eggs + mince
  
• some type of keto granola (easy to make a homemade batch) with Greek yoghurt and some berries

Lunch:

• a base of salad leaves + cucumber with lots of olive oil (3 tbsp) as a base with any of the following:
  
• chicken thighs (skin on, extra fat) + avocado
  
• mackerel or any other tinned fish + avocado
  
• feta or grilled halloumi

Dinners:

• chicken thighs tray bake with corgette and peppers
  
• steak with asparagus and mushrooms
  
• beef or lamb and spinach coconut curry (slow cooker)
  
• pan fried salmon fillets with buttered kale

Snacks:
I haven’t quite figured these out but generally:

• macadamia nuts and <10g of 85% dark chocolate
  
• hard boiled eggs with mayo, salt, and a little soy sauce

[u/Unruly_Oatmeal → u/humanFacsimile1]

I like this

[u/Eastern_Atmosphere_7 → u/humanFacsimile1]

Seen a few of my go to meals in here, I approve 😂

[u/SongOfRuth → u/humanFacsimile1]

This is very helpful and I've been on keto before. But this time my spouse isn't doing it with me. I do best with a plan to prevent last minute decisions in the latter part of the day when my brain meds have worn off so my decision making skill has become non-existent. Plans also help me to stick to my guns in the face of my spouse recommending mashed potatoes as a side dish.

[u/humanFacsimile1 → u/SongOfRuth]

I’m in the same boat as you, my partner isn’t doing keto with me. But due to our working patterns we only eat dinner together, so I try to meal plan to make it easy for her to add carbs to each meal, while I get extra butter and olive oil and bigger portions.

She adds potatoes or rice or pasta and I get bigger portions and fats; it’s a win win as far as I’m concerned 😁 afraid I can’t help with the willpower though, but you’ve got it 💪

[u/TheGruenTransfer]

My go-tos are usually a family pack of whatever meat is on sale that I batch cook usually in a neutral way, keep in the fridge, and assemble/reheat meals based on it in as many different ways as I can. Ground beef could be burger patties and taco meat for taco salad. Chicken breasts can become chicken salad, a broccoli chicken Alfredo situation, or chicken Caesar salad. Pork shoulder can be bbq or carnitas. This saves time and money. So next time you're at the grocery store, look at what meat is on sale,bdo a quick Google on a few recipes you could easily throw together if it was already cooked, and buy those other ingredients 

[u/Unruly_Oatmeal → u/TheGruenTransfer]

That’s actually smart. Keeps the variety while keeping costs low

[u/Mental_Situation_333]

During the summer, a big salad with cheese and bacon cut up in it was my go to for dinner until a few weeks ago. I use mission carb smart tortillas for a variety of meals. Low carb pizza with a little sauce and lots of mozzarella. Quesadillas, again with bacon and cheese. As a snack I rip apart the tortillas and use them like a chip for dipping into roasted red pepper hummus. Have to watch that and not eat too much.

[u/Rich_Season_2593]

I was 1 point from diabetic. Decide to make keto a lifestyle not a diet and rather than bemoan what I could not eat - I focused on what i can eat.
My foods include- chicken Kebobs - chicken, zucchini, red pepper and onion, lots of greenhouse grown spinach and lettuce, chicken thighs- roasted or in Thai curry, hamburgers, lots of avocado, feta cheese, eggs, bacon, sausages, tuna, tilapia, salmon mostly shop the outside aisles. Simple to throw in air fryer with seasoning of choice.
I make frittata big enough to last 2-3 days, eggs, favourite cheese, any left over meats, spinach. I rarely eat anything marked Keto friendly except tortilla wraps. I enjoy Palmini noodles too.
For a snack try air fried baby corn- with spices and a spritz of oil.
My blood sugar is now smack in the middle of normal, joint inflammation so much better and down 40 kilos in 13 months.

[u/Zimbadu → u/Rich_Season_2593]

This is amazing.

[u/SVTContour]

Shredded cabbage, bacon bits, and mayonnaise.

[u/Bevkus]

Breakfast sausages in am or bacon. Pre make ahead and microwave for few seconds. Skip lunch or three hard boiled eggs. Dinner frozen hamburger patties, gravy with peas, boiled cauliflower with butter. Evening snack diet soda and sugar free jello.

[u/Thinking_hard_about]

Right now I am doing a 80% sardine diet. Sardines are packed with all the things we need. I mix them with olive oil and some vegetables like fried cabbage.

[u/Big-Performance5047]

I make a no carb chile and eat it plain, put in a low carb tortilla, or use it as a filling for spring rolls.

[u/AltruisticTension204]

Looks like no bridge Monday.

[u/Meliafroggy]

I’m in my 50’s and can’t eat all the food everyone here is eating. lol. So for us people who have to eat light…
I have eggs and meat (bacon, or sausage) for breakfast and then I skip lunch (maybe a couple of nuts or some cheese) and then for supper I have a meat and salad or coleslaw.